Welcome to the first of an on-going series on the blog that will showcase bands who are making interesting strides in our local music scene. We'll ask them some questions, provide links to some of their music and help you explore some Fresno music.

We start things off with The Same Shape, a relatively new band in town -- they've only been playing together about a year -- but a band whose dedication to play live shows and eclectic rock sound has already made them a favorite around town.

They're releasing their debut album Friday night, with a release party at Starline, with Sleepover Disaster and Mynis. Cristian Mueller and Ian Blesse indulged my curiousity about the band. So without further ado, here's your introduction to The Same Shape.

Keep reading for an interview with The Same Shape and links to check out their music.

Personnel:
Thomas Delgado, guitar/vocals; Cristian Mueller, bass; Chad Battenberg, keys and Ian Blesse, drums.

What are you most excited about with the new CD?
"I'm really exited that people will finally be able to hear our songs outside of the live shows," Blesse says.

Tell us about your origins. You guys were formed out of Wednesday's open jam night at Starline, right?
"Tom, Chad and I have been doing the open jam thing for over three years now," Blesse says. "Cristian moved to Fresno about a year and a half ago. The four of us would get up on stage with no idea of what we were going to play. We would just improvise and have fun with the whole thing. It was just a perfect fit."

You guys are definitely a band whose popularity has grown through playing tons of live shows. Is that good promotion? Word of mouth? Luck? Just really good shows?
"I would say all of the above," Blesse says. " We try to pour everything we have into all of our live shows. Word of mouth is probably our best friend. My good friend K.C. Jackson does all our artwork including our posters and fliers. That helps so much. It is really important to catch people's eye with a poster. K.C. has created such a feel for our promotion that people can just look at one of our flyers, and without seeing our name, know that it is a T.S.S. poster. I would have to say that luck is a factor. We all feel very lucky to be playing music together in these great Fresno venues. We also feel lucky to have met each other."

Has there been a lot of demand for a CD from The Same Shape?
"Yeah, people have been wanting something they can listen to in their car for a while now," Blesse says. "It seems the longer we wait to release the CD, the more people want it. I think we are on to something here?"

How did you guys come up with your name?
"Tommy came up with it," Mueller says. "He called me one day when we were going back and forth as a band with names, some really funny and some serious attempts were thrown out there. When Tom told me "The Same Shape" I immediately liked it both sonically and for the meaning that it drummed up in my head. I immediately thought about how people, regardless of their race, religion, or sex are all basically the same shape. I really liked that idea and we ran with it. It's also nice to be able to say that to an audience every night and have it kind of brush over them, as if they don't really notice what we are saying. Tom on stage says, 'Good evening, we are The Same Shape' It's kind of a double entendre in that way: Announce our band's name, but also say 'We are all the same here, so let's have a good time.' "

Who's your favorite Fresno band? Why?
"This is not a cop-out but I don't have just one," Blesse says. "There are a lot of really amazing musicians as well as bands in the Fresno area. I like them all for different reasons."

What's your favorite place to play? Why?
"I have two," Blesse says. "The Starline is like our second home. We are familiar with the sound system as well as the people who work there. It is an all-ages venue and they serve drinks for 21+. My other favorite is Veni Vidi Vici. Our live set changes drastically between these two places. At VVV, it is very intimate. We tend to lean a little more to the jazz and funk side of things. Some nights at VVV we will improvise the whole three-hour show. Whereas the Starline you are more apt to see a very rock-oriented set."

If you could change one thing about the Fresno music scene what would it be?
"I really like the music scene here," Blesse says. "I wish more people would come out to see what's going on in their own town! A lot is happening here, people tend to ignore that. Also, we all feel there are these little enclaves around town and people rarely explore outside of their comfort zones."

What band would you most compare The Same Shape to?
"Hmm ... I'll use three because we have so many different influences and I think that shows in our music," Blesse says. "I have a hard time doing this but here are some: Gov't Mule, Jeff Buckley, Led Zeppelin and Radiohead. I don't think we sound like these bands but people seem to use these ones when describing our sound."

What's the No. 1 reason someone should come to your show on Friday night?
"Well this will be first album release show, so if you don't go it is a fact that you will spend the next 10 agonizing years of your life crying in the fetal position," Blesse says. "That and we might run out of CDs before you get one. And some of you know how long you will have to wait for another one!"

Related Links:
The Same Shape Homepage
MySpace page, with streaming audio
Same Shape Mailing List
Band Blog

To suggest a band for Band of the Week, shoot me an e-mail.